Homeopathy is a medical practice that treats a disease, affliction or condition by administering small amounts of a natural substance. A fundamental aspect of homeopathy is the stimulation of the body's natural healing process by administering a homeopathic remedy capable of producing the same or similar symptoms for which treatment is sought in a healthy individual. For example, arnica, which causes bruising in a healthy individual when administered in concentrated dosages, is a common homeopathic remedy for treating bruising.
In the United States, the preparation and sale of homeopathic remedies are regulated by the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States (HPUS). According to HPUS guidelines, homeopathic remedies are prepared by successively diluting herbals and other natural substances in a water and/or alcohol solution. Because homeopathic potency is inversely related to concentration, the greater the dilution the higher the potency of the homeopathic remedy.
The most common methods for administering homeopathic remedies involve sipping a water based solution or orally dissolving a homeopathic compound infused sucrose/lactose pellet in the mouth. Certain orally administered homeopathic remedies may be formulated as medium to high compositions to enhance therapeutic effectiveness. While these oral administrations are effective for treating certain systemic diseases, they may not be effective for treating some localized ailments. This may be because oral formulations cannot be directly administered to location of ailment; the administration area is limited; and therapy is likely limited to less than about 20 minutes due to the natural cleansing process of the mouth for a typical number 40 pellet.
Another common method of administering homeopathic remedies involves topical administration. Typically, topical gel and cream based homeopathic remedies may be directly administered to the site of an ailment or injury. These remedies typically include low potencies of homeopathic agents, and are formulated as gels, lotions and creams.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,229,648 (Dreyer) discusses homeopathic gel formulations for treating pain and inflammation having a potency of greater than 30C, such as 30C, 200C, 1M, 10M and 50M. Specifically, Dreyer discusses mixing a homeopathic composition with a gel base. For example, Dreyer discusses combining 8% of homeopathic remedies into 92% gel base. Additionally, Dreyer teaches that its topical gel formulation should be dry to the touch within a few minutes of application.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/279902 (Luria) discloses a cosmetic composition including a homeopathic complex that may be formulated as a transdermal or topical paste, cream, lotion, ointment or gel having a potency of about 1X to about 50,000Q or about 100C to about 50,000Q.
Although numerous homeopathic formulations are commercially available, there still remains a need to develop effective medium to high potency formulations that when topically administered, may be particularly suitable for preventing or treating severe ailments and injuries.